EbroVoice » Business Enterprises

Is it safe to talk branding again?

EbroRose — Sun, 15 May 2011 00:36:25 +0000

More and more people are daily re-thinking their employment options after cut-backs, re-trenching and lack of replacement employment out there -irrespective of which town, village or country they live in.

So what are they doing about finding a remedy to having gainful employment?

Folk are setting up small Expat businesses after relocation to live their dream. Some may have run a business of their own before. Others it might be a totally different, sometimes exciting and more often than not scarey at all the facets one has to consider.

Man is not an island and we can’t be all things at all times no matter what walk of career-life we have travelled from and studied in.

Marketing and branding may be a whole new ball game to you. It more than crafting a few lines for an advert, blog or making your own website.

This book is the latest from a wide range from the pen of the SilcionValley marketeer-author-speaker at:

http://www.brighterbranding.com/

This book is geared for smaller businesses or start-ups, maybe you’ve formed a new partnerships just starting out with marketing your company, yourselves or your product and hopefully, product range too.

This is a valuable business must-have tool to your future success.

How to do it. By people who have done it.

http://www.fodenpress.com/EBBrandingMsg.html

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Bought the land but nowhere to live?

EbroRose — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:31:31 +0000

I know of a solution to your predicament.

I’ve close friends returning to UK and they have the most amazing and comfortable mobile home for sale in beige and green trim with full window shutters and beautifully maintained.

When you walk inside it you will be amazed at the homely 2 bedroomed, full bathroom, comfortable lounge and fully fitted diner-kitchen.

There is more!

All furniture is included in the price.

Still more! Washing machine, dryer and gas cooker as well as fridge Freezer also included in the price.

The bottomline: 20,000 euros. This price is so good and less than 50% of the full price.

Located along the Ebro River on the outskirts of Benifallet off the C12 in Catalonia.

The buyer must collect and transport it.

Call Tracy or John 977 260 119

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Do I write or do I weed?

EbroRose — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:36:22 +0000

“I´ll make your tea and toast in a minute, Mom,” I say, without looking up from the keyboard. That was an hour ago. Mom had quite happily dosed off in her chair with the warm sun rays lighting up her very good mop of hair for 84 years of age. Oh well, I was never cut out for all this nursey-carey larkey stuff. Anyway, she is fed and watered now, so back to the question of the day.

Do I write or do I weed?

The voice of practicality commands, “Weed girl. Get them weeds up before the earth is sun baked and rock hard!”

The voice of emotion whispers, “Sod the weeds! Write away to your hearts content. The weeds will still be there tomorrow. Write while the ideas are tumbling about – that fountain of ideas may not be flowing tomorrow. Never waste an idea. Write it down. Write it now!”

Okay, okay, I hear you both. Write first and weed later – maybe or maybe not.

I had oodles of email from my www.LinkedIn.com writers’ and Expats groups to catch up on. This is not a complaint, mind you, I do enjoy them. I do learn an awful lot from them. I relish hearing the debates between professional writers of all different calibres. I feel like I am on a steep learning curve on some of the discussions. I am not feint-hearted. I hear what they are saying. I mull it over (while weeding, when I do eventually get outdoors) and often think “Hey, that idea / style might just work in another series in my Chimona Chronicles.Mmmmh…”

www.Chimona.com

Chimona Chronicles: How kelvyn got his name

When I first moved to the Ebro River Valley I felt starved of intellect momentus. I craved discussion and debate outside the normal Expat lament of dodgey builders and not quite British building materials. I soon tired of eavesdropping and hearing the character assasinations of fellow expats, “If you are a fisherman first by definition, then of course you are a bona fide brickey, plumber, sparkey or lumberjack!”

My sons then home on leave, hooked me up to Facebook and I can track them wherever the MOD send them. Aha! I also became a Scrabble-maniac, but my sons beat me into a word pulp, but I am not a quitter. I have made very good friends of like minded lingusitics stature around the world and just good friends, old and new, who love to play for fun. You needn´t feel lonely out here. It is also a great place to share your photo albums and reunite with long lost classmates ( I know I have found mine from South Africa – be then scattered around the world) and even mislaid cousins – one is settled in New Zealand. Now I never did get to new Zealand. I wonder what she would say I turned up one day like Dick Whittington.

Another great source of inspiration, both mentally and inspirational for writing and contacts have been joining www.LinkedIn.com. It is so easy to do. All you need is an email address and a password and slowly you develop your profile, or edit it as you see fit to do. I have found a huge cluster of other Expat writers and writers of children books on there. Illustrators and publishers abound to. You can choose which groups you wish to belong to under the Category you have assigned yourself to. Often my friends on LinkedIn are my friends on Facebook too. These casual social networks can interlink with the more professional ones. If you are wearing the entrepeneur cap or would aspire to be one,this is just the place to share your views and ask questions or start discussions. You will be amazed how the right and brighter people home in to help you.

Not quite sure if I did ever answer my rhetorical question: Should I write or should I weed?

Oh well better show willing…Weeds Attack! Attack!

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Californians Naming Guru discovers HiperSimply -Ferreries Tortosa

EbroRose — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 10:09:43 +0000

Recent overseas tourists were having great fun with pronouncing and mispronouncing Catalan names. We must give them some slack. After all, they hear Latino Spanish day in, day out along the San Francisco Bay area. Mind you it was interesting to read the log on their slant of the renaming of Sabeco. http://nameawards.com/2010/04/10/i-am-going-simply-hyper-in-cat-country/

Now Mums and Dads with hyper kids this summer may stroll on leisurely down the refurbished and wider aisles of the old Sabeco, with its new name for supermerkat or abbreviated as súper in Catalan. ( Note: when the word is used in full it drops the accent over the “u”).

The marketeers have seen fit to simply call it HiperSimply.

Now “h” in the Catalan alphabet is called hac. Exemples (Examples)= hola, hivern. However, the h is silent. So how would they pronounce it – I -per-sim-pli? Whereas, the Expats Anglo-Saxons would merely say -Hi -pe-sim-plee and not even utter the r in the middle.

It is pleasing to drive pass the car park now and see the vibrant green and yellow and dash of red on their logo. The logo is bright and cheerful. We love it! The green of the agricultural orchards kissing the banks of the Ebro River, the yellow of the wild flowers and sun-kissed valleys and the red for the setting sun adorning our mountains in teh cool of the evenings – or is it simply “ketchup red”?

Perfect just perfect!

The cynics utter it is just a tax fiddle! Why? Sabeco and those Sabeco Sambo’s, the old name is tired and what does it mean anyway? Bringing all its branches under the family umbrella of HiperSimpli will be strength and sustainability to its brand. Besides, to the competitors like Carrefour, who seek expansion into a super duper hyper store off the C42, it shouts -”We are still out there in front with you guys!” Eroski have bought into Caprabo and their brand has nowtoo been enhanced with new investment and more experienced European partnership.

Competition is good for everyone.

p.s. Remember to change your old Sabeco bonus point card at the Information desk for a new HiperSimply card.

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Miss Sunday shopping? English goodies available this Sunday.

EbroRose — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:30:44 +0000

Dreading the queues and crowds of Saturday supermarket dash in the Lower Ebro Valley or Montsia? Well lets lighten your load today.

This Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of month, when the amicable Brian Parkins holds his gathering of the Expats and locals at Casa Madera, off Camino Terrapico for his International social club, on the outskirts of Roquetes and Raval de Christ. Just follow the luminated arrows when you turn off by the Cemetery.

Tim and Elisa (696 -894 – 134) will be displaying their wares up there of ‘your’ one-stop convenience British shop supplies. They also have a wide range of Curry paste now in stock. Come along and have a root. You will be surprised at their variety of English goodies. They are the best in town on prices on British stock. Obviously, they can’t carry all 2000 categories with them at one time, so if you don’t see what you want just ask them and they will deliver. On the other hand give them a call today and place your order and pick it up on Sunday morning from Casa Madera.

I don’t know if you are aware but you can place subscription orders with them for all your British magazines.

Perhaps, you yourself would like to try your hand at a carboot store. You are more than welcome just to turn up with what you have to sell. On the other hand, you made have a service or business that other people are interested in. Bring your flyers, bring your business cards, but above all else bring yourself and your friends or local neighbours. This is open to everyone and often you will here a range of languages burbling about.

A time to meet new and old friends. May be you chose just to sit in his fly free zone and listen to the banter. Feeling shy, lonely or need in of some company, you will receive a warm welcome and be surrounded by much laughter. Drinks and sandwiches are available.

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EbroAds.com is proud to present Ebro.TV.

EbroRose — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:18:49 +0000

An initiative to promote the diversity of the Ebro region and also to build stronger community links has arrived.The new website, Ebro.TV, has been launched as a place to share videos, audio, photo’s, news and stories about the Ebro River Valley and Delta.

This is not just for the English community. This is for everyone! You can write in Catalan or Spanish. Dutch, German and French is okay too. There are certain groups setup already so please join in. Start your own group and display your interests or wares.

Photo Album and unlimited media uploads! Here’s your chance to show off all those snaps you have been taking. Let the world know what a wonderful place we live in! Please invite as many of your friends as possible.

With features too numerous to mention, from RSS feeds to photo ratings and a personal messaging system.
You can even signup using your current AOL, Facebook, Google, Yahoo or OpenID details.

So, if you want to boast about that Catfish you caught OR upload your latest karaoke efforts OR even just put up a photo / video of a property you have for sale, see you at www.ebro.TV!!

And it is all free!

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Expoebre:Fira de Tortosa – a “platform of opportunities”

EbroRose — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:32:24 +0000

The president Ricard Forés has announced that the 65th Lands of the Ebro fair (as it is better known across Tarragona) has a two pronged focus.

The first is to provide the maximum attractiveness to make the journey for the multi-cultural communities to this fair worthwhile and pleasant in these difficult economic times. Secondly, the committee aims to display, more than ever, a “platform of opportunities” where it is absolutely vital that companies can “go out to the streets” exhibit their to the diverse products and search for new customers.

This wonderful and enlightening, multi-faceted fair opened its doors along the River Ebro in the precinct of the Remolins’ Pavilion, Tortosa on Thursday 30th April. It will stretch right through the weekend to the 3rd May.

Apart from strolling around the stands an important part of the proceedings are the cultural talks, reports, lectures and specific exhibitions dedicated to the region of Montsia and the economic and environmental issues, both problems and solutions, facing the Lands of the Ebro.

We must commend the Tortosa Council for being pro-active and forward thinking in retaining the maximum amount of exhibitors in this age of dire global economic distress. They have taken on board, the cost of insurance and electric usage of the exhibitors. This is magnificent!. This has allowed 300 exhibitors to be able to attend, with only an overall drop of 10% on previous years.

Tortosa Council we salute you!

But above all this is a fun day out. A time to mingle with all the cultures. Meet old friends and make new friends, while viewing all the displays across a wide spectrum of products and services.

I wish you all a very good “buenas fin de setmana” – a very good weekend, at Expoebre.

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Are Ryanair building a latrine for themselves?

EbroRose — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:31:01 +0000

Everywhere I turn over the last week whenever Ryanair is mentioned, up pops the topic, “Ryanair to charge to use the loo! What do I think? ”

The aviation marketing guru of www.Simpliflying.com beggars the question on www.LinkedIn.com; “Is this good PR or bad marketing?”

Well, it certainly has shaken the network of Ryanair’s frequent flyers into talking rather more explosively. Others seem more resigned to the fact, with little or no surprise, that Ryanair will find every which way possible to charge for every function they offer. The latest one being branded about of flyers’ bodily functions: ‘Pay to use the Loo’ is met with disbelief.

“Well, I just won’t use it” they retort.

If that is the case, lets hope Ryanair sells ‘in-flight diapers’.

How will they police it? In air cloakroom attendants to empty slots and to ensure the door is not held open for the next user and the next? Or will parents on a budget see how many of ‘Ma Plotters’ clan can fit into the loo at one squeeze. We could see some new statistics appearing in the Guinness Book of records 2009 or 2010.

I have yet to read a confirmed or denied statement from Ryanair executives as to whether this was a casual innocent remark made at a stab of humour (or is it humus?) or a major blunder. Whatever, it is they are building a whole pile of compost against their brand name.

With so many voicing their complaints to each other amongst the Catalonian Expat community in Spain, I fanned the question: “So why do you fly with Ryanair?”

They answered as I expected them to do.

“Who else can we fly with from the UK and ‘Brum into Reus at that price?”

I pushed back, “What would it take to make use another airline, if they flew the same route?”

“Price! Price! Price! – for a 2 hour flight I would happily fly a DC3.”

I wonder if “they” would then charge for disposable parachutes.

Well, for now Ryanair have the brand confidence in the UK market share cornered in routes in and out of Reus, Tarragona, Spain. Lets hope in this global crisis they haven’t dug their own ‘latrine in the sky’, because the expression “Shit will fly” takes on a whole new connotation.

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Empty trailer going back to Cheshire on Monday – 19th November

EbroRose — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:20:00 +0000

Have you anything you want transporting back to England on Monday 19th November 2007? (There may be a levy if it is your “mother-in-law”…)

You may have borrowed some equipment from your old neighbour back in the UK who is requesting its prompt return ?

Maybe grandma is going to be surprised with a huge object for Christmas – but how do we get it back? Whose idea was it anyway to agree to send her that big terracotta pot – she only grows minature pansies?

Gentleman Peter is very helpful and reliable and travelling back to Cheshire in the UK with an empty trailer. Living on the outskirts of Tortosa, he will consider anything that fits (and does not need feeding!) and within the total weight restriction. You are assured Peter will quote at a very reasonable rate. The Lower Ebro Valley pickup area is suitable. However, if you are outside this catchment area still give him a call.

The trailer is covered and secure. Contact him straight away!

Peter (0034) 697 869 206

Local information once more brought to you by the Voice of the Ebro and www.brighterspain.com for all your advertising and marketing needs in any major European language.

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The autumn fall is here where “No job is to small”

EbroRose — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:37:12 +0000

Summer is over and we have recovered from the onslaught of visitors. The weather is still fine and those much needed jobs can still be done before Christmas.

The dip pool was fine this summer, but how much better to have a larger pool dug out for you? Help is at hand. We know just the man!

Maybe you wish to have a trench dug for hidden water pipes or electric cables, but your land is so rocky. No problem – Peter has the equipment to cope with this.

Maybe you just have restricted access to your newly acquired dream property and the builders´ wagons can´t get up the slope or around the tight corners. This affable guy comes along with his dumper and is able to move all of this for you.

Did your property flood by the river this year? Would you like an earth flood bank building ? Now is the time to consider remedying the situation before the next heavy rains descend on the Lower Ebro Valley.

These are but to name just a few of the variable tasks he can undertake for you with his variety of equipment. You do not have to wipe the sweat off your brow as you come to terms with driving these machineries, because you don´t. The man comes with his equipment and he is experienced – you just stand back and watch, or get on with some other chores.

Peter offers very competitive prices and comes highly recommended throughout the Lower Ebro Region. Call him on 0034 697 869 206

Remember: No job too small! Mini digger – dumper- breaker for hire with Peter the driver

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